Buying pre-loved clothing is now starting to move away from being a niche hobby to being a small lifestyle choice to in order to reduce one’s carbon footprint. There has been an increase in awareness of thrifting — both online and in-store — which helps individuals give back to their community in a smart, sustainable way while also giving a ‘second-life’ to old garments.

Since COVID-19, thrifting pop-ups in Brunei (such as Bandarku Ceria, The Box etc.) haven’t been able to open up yet and brick-and-mortar thrifting stores have also been asked to temporarily close. However, the thrifting experience ended up moving online instead. With many Instagram accounts right here in Brunei still offering their thrifting services in order to try and get people to still thrift. These Instagram accounts are usually run by students as a great source of income but it also allows them to share their beautiful pieces and let someone else do their bit for the environment by contributing to slow fashion.

Examples of Brunei based Instagram thrifting accounts: — just to name a few!

The popularity of thrifting amongst teenagers is definitely growing, according to Poshmark 16.5% of a Gen-Z’s teenager clothes are thrifted or second-hand clothes which is more than any generation before it[1]. This is supported by the fact that over 90% of Gen-Z teenagers are open to buying used fashion[2] with many saying there shouldn’t be a stigma around thrifting and to enjoy the experience. The thrifting experience itself is quite fun as there is the mystery to be able to hunt for vintage items for less than it’s worth.

With the internet there have been very well-known thrifting platforms such as eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Depop, Etsy which allow for thrifting hunting online. It has made it easier for collectors or consumers of vintage clothing to access a wide range of buyers and sellers.[3] Thankfully, we now have our very own online thrifting platform right here in Brunei, Thryffy!

If you now feel inspired to try your hand at thrifting go for it! Whether you’re new to thrifting or a regular, we should all do our part in trying to live a life less dependent on fast fashion. The Instagram thrifting community has a range of accounts which allow you to find your style with very supportive vendors to help you along your thrifting journey!